Zhengyangguan City Gate

Zhengyangguan City Gate

The Zhengyangguan City Gate is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The Zhengyangguan City Gate is located in Shouxian County, Lu’an City, dating back to the Qing Dynasty.

Zhengyangguan is one of China’s renowned passes. Historically known as Yingwei, Yangshi, Yangshi, and Yangshi City, it is an ancient town with a long history, taking shape as early as the mid-Eastern Zhou Dynasty. The Zuo Zhuan (Commentary of Zuo), under the 12th year of Duke Zhao of Lu (530 BC), records: “The Chu ruler hunted in Zhoulai and lodged at Yingwei…” Calculated from this, the town of Zhengyangguan has a history of over 2,530 years. Furthermore, according to the Shouzhou Annals published in the 29th year of the Ming Jiajing era (1550 AD), “The eastern Zhengyang Town, sixty li south of the prefecture, was anciently called Yangshi. Emperor Zhao of Han built a city and stationed troops here.” This indicates that Zhengyangguan has had over 1,780 years of city-building history.

The ancient town of Huai Shang, Zhengyangguan, although repeatedly ravaged by war and floods throughout history, still retains three ancient city gates built during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty — the North Gate, South Gate, and East Gate (the West Gate was destroyed before liberation). Even more breathtaking is the fact that the inner and outer lintels of all three gates are inscribed with calligraphy by ancient scholars. The scripts are either graceful and dignified or vigorous and elegant, not only profound in meaning and rich in significance but also rare masterpieces of calligraphy. Originally, Zhengyangguan had earthen fortifications built by local people to defend against floods. In the fifth year of the Qing Tongzhi era (1866), Shi Zhao, the magistrate of Shouzhou, “rebuilt the city walls on the site of the old earthen ramparts… The city wall spanned seven hundred and twenty zhang, stood fifteen chi high, and measured four li and three fen in circumference. There were one thousand three hundred and seventy crenellations.” The city had four gates, each with a gate tower, and both the inner and outer sides of the gates featured stone inscriptions.

The inner lintel of the East Gate is inscribed with: Chaoyang (Morning Sun); the outer lintel: Xiyu Chuntai (Spring Terrace of Radiant Harmony). Chaoyang refers to the rising sun in the east. This inscription symbolizes the boundless hopes people place in Zhengyang, wishing it to rise like the morning sun in the east, thriving continuously. Xiyu Chuntai is a reference from Chapter 20 of Laozi’s Dao De Jing: “The people are merry, as if feasting at a great sacrifice, or ascending a height in spring.” In today’s terms, it describes people rejoicing as if attending a lavish banquet or enjoying the view from a high terrace in the warm spring — a scene of harmony. “Xiyu Chuntai” means that when people ascend the East Gate, they feel as carefree and delighted as gazing at the scenery from a bright spring terrace. It not only highlights the grandeur of the East Gate but also describes the pleasant surroundings, making it a favorite spot for visitors.

The inner lintel of the South Gate is inscribed with: Jiefu (Relieving the People’s Burdens); the outer lintel: Huainan Ancient Town. “Jiefu” originates from Emperor Shun’s “Southern Wind Song.” According to Records of the Grand Historian – Treatise on Music, “In the past, Emperor Shun made a five-stringed qin and sang the Southern Wind.” The Southern Wind Song says: “The fragrant southern wind, it can relieve my people’s distress; the timely southern wind, it can enrich my people’s wealth.” It means that officials should alleviate the people’s worries, reduce their burdens, increase their income, and enable them to live peaceful and prosperous lives. “Huainan Ancient Town” signifies that Zhengyangguan is an ancient town of the Huainan Kingdom, underscoring its long history. According to Records of the Grand Historian – Biography of Qing Bu, in the third year of Emperor Gaozu of Han (204 BC), the King of Jiujang, Qing Bu, submitted to Han. “In the fourth year, seventh month (July 203 BC), Qing Bu was enthroned as the King of Huainan.” Shouchun was the territory of the Huainan Kingdom, and Zhengyangguan naturally came under its jurisdiction, hence the title “Huainan Ancient Town.”

The original inner lintel of the West Gate was inscribed with: Xiying Changgeng (Evening Star Reflecting in the West); the original outer lintel: Huailiu Guanyue (Key to the Huai River Flow). “Xiying Changgeng” comes from the Classic of Poetry – Xiao Ya – Da Dong: “In the east there is the Morning Star, in the west there is the Evening Star.” Changgeng refers to the planet Venus, also called Taibai or the Morning Star. Seen in the evening, it is called Changgeng; seen at dawn, it is the Morning Star. “Xiying Changgeng” means: at dusk, the Evening Star reflects together with the afterglow of the setting sun on the West Gate, mainly depicting the beautiful scenery of the West Gate at sunset. “Huailiu Guanyue”: Zhengyangguan was a crucial hub of Huai River water transport. Seventy-two waterways converged at Zhengyang; eastward to Yangzhou, westward to Tongbai, northward to Yingfu, and southward up the Dabie Mountains. “Huailiu Guanyue” means the West Gate was like a key that controlled the flow of the Huai River, highlighting its importance to Huai River shipping and its strategic position as the gateway of the Huai, Ying, and Pi rivers. During the Anti-Japanese War, a Japanese artillery boat coming from Huainan bombarded the gate tower fiercely from the Huai River, destroying the West Gate.

The inner lintel of the North Gate is inscribed with: Gongchen (Paying Homage to the North Star); the outer lintel: Fengcheng Shouzhen (Foremost Town of Phoenix City). “Gongchen” comes from Chapter 2 of the Analects – On Governance: “The Master said, ‘To govern with virtue is like the North Star. It remains in its place while the multitude of stars revolve around it.’” It means that those who govern should prioritize “official virtue,” leading through moral integrity so that the people will unite around them like stars encircling the North Star, thereby earning their trust and support. The Jin dynasty’s Pan Yue wrote in his “Ode to the Plowing Ceremony”: “Like the morning dew awaiting the sunrise, like the multitude of stars encircling the North Star.” “Fengcheng Shouzhen” means Zhengyangguan was the largest town within the Fengyang Prefecture. Historical records indicate that to expand the jurisdiction of his hometown, Fengyang Prefecture, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, incorporated Shouzhou into Fengyang Prefecture in the fourth year of the Hongwu era (1371 AD). The Ming Jiajing-era Shouzhou Annals state: “At the rise of the Ming, the High Ancestor established Shouzhou as Shouyang Prefecture, which was soon changed to subordinate Shouzhou to Fengyang Prefecture.” Zhengyang belonged to Shouzhou, thus also to Fengyang Prefecture. Moreover, because “seventy-two waterways converged at Zhengyang,” giving it the advantage of water transport and boat convenience, merchants gathered here, making it a major distribution hub for goods along the middle reaches of the Huai River. Since the establishment of the Tax Collection Pass in the first year of the Ming Chenghua era, it had always been a major commercial town in the middle Huai region, earning the reputation of “First Town of Huainan,” hence the title “Foremost Town of Phoenix City.”

From this, it can be seen that most of the inscriptions on the lintels of Zhengyangguan City Gates are drawn from classics such as the Dao De Jing, the Classic of Poetry, the Analects, and the Records of the Grand Historian. Their meanings are profound and truly worth visitors pausing to ponder. The Zhengyang city walls were demolished in 1940 by the Kuomintang’s Guangxi clique forces, but the East, South, and North Gates remain preserved to this day.

In 2012, the Zhengyangguan City Gate was announced by the People’s Government of Anhui Province as part of the seventh batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units.

Protected area: the main structure of the building and an additional 100 meters outward to the east, south, west, and north.

Construction control zone: the area of the ancient town of Zhengyangguan.